Jhondie & Justin 5 I & I Am Camera
by Cat Carroll
Summary: Wedding bells are ringing, and a trip to Boston gets J & J more than they bargained for.
1. Welcome to Boston

Jhondie & Justin (5) – I & I & A Camera Deepthought Deepthought 1 30 2001-11-09T23:04:00Z 2001-11-09T23:34:00Z 3 967 5515 Deepthought 45 11 6772 9.2720 

Jhondie & Justin (5) – I & I & A Camera

Rated NC-17 (Actually, only one chapter is NC-17, the rest is PG-13)

Disclaimer:  The concept of Dark Angel & Manticore doesn't belong to me.  Everyone else pretty much does.  That's kind of scary in a demented way, but Mr. Cameron is still welcome to sue for my '81 Corolla.  Also, the song lyrics belong to Savage Garden, and even though they didn't give me permission to use them, you should buy the CD and listen to while reading because it really works when you do that.  You'll know the part I'm talking about when you read it.

A/N:  I feel as though I should explain something about this installment of the J & J series.  It was never meant to be.  Seriously.  In the middle of writing the fourth one, I was asked to do a chapter in it involving pictures and a catfight.  It just wouldn't work into the story.  However, I had a really long day at work the next day, and to keep myself marginally sane, I started mentally playing with my fics and working on them.  Then I got an idea, and my muse jumped on it and liked it.  This is the result.

Justin

"So this is Boston," Jhondie said, flinging the curtains aside and looking over the busy downtown streets.  "When do we get to go home?"

I laughed.  "Considering it's your fault we're here, you don't get to ask when we get to go home."  She pouted playfully.  Well, it was her fault we were spending Spring Break here instead of in LA.  She was the one who told Denise to invite us to her wedding.  I didn't think Denise really would, but when we got the invitation I knew Jhondie had really put the fear God into her.  

We had found out that Denise's Christmas present from her sucker, I mean, boyfriend was a two-carat diamond ring.  Mr. O'Malley brought those glad tidings to us.  The wedding had already been scheduled for the end of March by the time we heard about it.  Denise wasn't wasting any time and risking Bradley finding out that he was marrying a mental case.  

I wasn't surprised that Jhondie still wanted to go.  She still had not forgiven Denise for everything she had done over Thanksgiving.  She wanted to make sure Denise was safely taken care of more than I did and that was saying a lot.  I had made Jhondie swear on everything holy that she wasn't coming here just to ruin the wedding.  I wanted Denise married.  I hadn't mentioned it to Jhondie, but Psycho sent me this long rambling letter three weeks before.  She told me she didn't really love Bradley and she was finally ready to forgive me for cheating on her with Jhondie.  I burned the letter.  There hadn't been any others, so I was hoping it was merely the product of a drunken moment.  It's hard to tell the difference between drunk and delusional where Denise is concerned.

There was a knock at the door.  I opened it, already knowing it was Dad.  We had gotten two rooms, one for Dad and I and the other for Jhondie.  That was the plan at any rate.  Jhondie had walked into her room, saw the king-sized bed, and with a wicked smile glanced back at me and oh-so-casually said, "You might want to claim drawer space now.  I tend to take up to much if I go first."

I know I turned blood red.  So did Dad, but that was more from holding back laughter than embarrassment.  Sure he knew we were sleeping together, but it was expected to at least keep appearances.  I was going to have to kill her.

"I'm going to put my things in my room," Dad said with a chuckle.  I made a noise, I think it was supposed to be some kind of apology, but Dad just waved me off.  "You're both adults, and I'm old enough to know that when a woman like that makes up her mind, you just step to the side."

He left, and I turned back to Jhondie.  Dad had spoken softly, not that it did any good around Jhondie because she was smirking as she took some clothes out of her suitcase.  Just because I liked the outcome didn't mean I liked her methods.  I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her, ready to tickle in an instant.  

"That wasn't very nice," I said warningly.  She turned around, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing herself close to me.  Was I upset about something?  I forget.

"Well," she murmured with a little kiss to my chin.  Not fair.  "I wasn't spending the whole time we were here wanting you and having you right next door and not be able to do anything about it."  She punctuated her words with little kisses to my nose and throat and neck.  Then she ran her tongue lightly over my lower lip.  That was when it's totally not fair to have a girlfriend that knows you that well.  She knew I stopped thinking and started acting when she did that.  She was counting on it right then.  My arms tightened around her as I kissed her passionately.

We didn't have time to get started before Dad knocked.  Jhondie groaned when I moved away from her, but for once I had to be the responsible one and stop.  Normally I was the one muttering for five more minutes.  Normally my father wasn't interrupting.  I opened the door quickly before Jhondie got it in her head to stop me. 

Jhondie

Mr. Carter was smirking when Justin got the door.  Hell, he had three kids, he didn't need a map.  But, we were supposed to be having dinner and I was starving.  Airline food sucks.  Not that I would have minded a, oh, say fifteen minute delay, but since he was here anyways, we might as well get some food.

It was cute seeing Justin so embarrassed.  You'd think he didn't think his father knew that we were intimate.   He was the one who went and told his parent right off the bat that we had slept together.  I made mine figure it out.  Actually she found some condoms exactly four days after she came back from Atlanta and I spilled my guts.  Nobody can stand up to Mom's interrogation.  It was better to confess rather than deny.  

"Ready for dinner?" Mr. Carter asked.  We were going to catch an early dinner so he could have drinks with Mr. O'Malley later.  The wedding's dress rehearsal was tonight, and Mr. Carter said that his friend would need a drink after dealing with his ex-wife and her new husband all day.  If Denise was any indication of her mother, I totally understood why Mr. O'Malley would need a drink.

"So where are we going?" I asked cheerfully.  Justin wasn't saying much.  He was so cute.

Mr. Carter had gone to college in Boston, so he knew some really great places to eat there.  We went to this great little Italian place where the food was far from bad and quite plentiful and if you slipped the violinist a couple of bucks, he would go off and annoy people on the other side of the room.  The evening was rather pleasant once Justin chose to start talking again.


	2. Buenos Noches

Jhondie Deepthought Deepthought 1 0 2001-11-12T22:05:00Z 2001-11-12T22:05:00Z 4 1318 7516 Deepthought 62 15 9230 9.2720 

Jhondie

"I really appreciate how much you helped out with Mom," I said to Mr. Carter over tiramisu.

"Quite alright," he replied.  "I understand what it's like."  Mom had gone on a date last week for the first time since Dad died.  She had started teaching at a local school, and one of the other teachers, a divorced man in his early forties, had asked her out.  She wasn't going to go, but her and Mr. Carter had talked and she decided to go.  She had become friendly with Justin's dad over the last couple of months, so she had listened to him and ended up having a pretty good time on her date.  I was okay with the thought of her dating, and that was helping Kayla deal with it too.

Mr. Carter checked his watch.  "Well, looks like George should be done by now," he commented.  Apparently Mr. O'Malley was really going to need a drink after this evening.  Mr. Carter and Justin had told me some about Denise's family, and it wasn't pretty.  Her mother had remarried to the Honorable Senator Phillip Martin of Massachusetts and now considered herself the proper Senator's wife, and liked to pretend that her ex didn't exist.  I could understand a lot more about Denise now, not that I was going to forgive her behavior, but it was a little more understandable.

"Are we going to see you back at the hotel?" Justin asked.

"I'm probably going to be late," came the answer.  He smirked.  "You two have any plans?" he asked with meaning, just to tease Justin.  Justin immediately blushed again.  He was so adorable.

"We were planning on going out for a while," I replied.

Justin smiled at that.  "I figured since we're going to see the worst that Boston has to offer tomorrow, I should show her some of the finer things tonight."  We all laughed.  I was planning on seeing some of the finer things tonight all right.

Justin

Sometimes it's really annoying when your girlfriend never gets tired and never sleeps.  We didn't get back to the hotel until midnight, and she wasn't tired at all.  Not even a little jetlagged.  I finally had to beg her to leave the club we were at.  She gave in when I promised her that she could catch the wedding bouquet tomorrow.  There was this one guy at the club who had hit on her a few times and he tried to get her to stay and "party with the real men".  She would have done something about it, but I simply stood up, and let him know the lady was well occupied.  The guy realized I was a hell of a lot bigger than him and decided to leave Jhondie alone.  Wise decision.

We went back to the hotel, and Jhondie teased me about not being sure if she should be impressed by my defense of her, or upset by my "knuckle dragging testosterone-fueled display of possessiveness."  I reminded her that she wasn't always upset at testosterone-fueled events, and as a matter of fact she was quite vocal on her enjoyment of them.  The cab driver started laughing and she sank down in her seat.  She had the grace to admit when she was beaten.  Well, not really, but she knew when to shut up.

We went back to the hotel and from the do not disturb sign on the door, I could tell Dad was back in his room.  I took a quick shower and lay down expecting Jhondie to be up and running around for a while still.  I would have loved to get something started with her, but I was way too tired.  Unfortunately, us mere mortals tire easily.  She was flipping through the channels on the TV when I got out.

"You realize that there are roughly three hundred channels of crap here?" she commented, glancing over at me as I got into bed.  The way her eyes followed me made me think that maybe I wasn't quite so tired after all.

"You know," she said with a smile, "I am a little jetlagged.  I think I'll take a shower and lay down with you if you don't mind."  Yeah, like I was going to complain about that.  I really wasn't feeling quite as tired as I had been a few minutes before.  She moved across the room into the bathroom knowing that I was watching her.  I thought about dancing with her earlier, the way she moved like no other woman in the world, the way she felt against my body.  Calm down.  She was going to be out soon.  

To distract myself, I grabbed a magazine that I had been reading on the plane.  It helped seeing that kind of garbage in print.  Jesus, what a bunch of self-serving hypocrisy.  Hey, look, the entire country is in a depression, but according to this, we are all fine.  Nobody should even think about armed guards at city checkpoints, and needing sector passes.  This was fluff, pure and simple.  I swear, if I ever have the resources to create my own magazine, it would be founded on honesty and integrity, and there wouldn't be any of this…

The shower was off.  Jhondie came out.  She was wearing this burgundy satin and lace nightgown thing that just came down to her thighs.  I blinked.  She was still there.  God, she was beautiful.  I flipped my magazine onto the nightstand.  Moral outrage on shoddy journalism could wait.  It would still be there in the morning.

"Hmmm," she said with a smile, walking around to the other side of the bed.  "Does this feel like a wedding night kind of things with the whole hotel and fancy nightgown of thing?"  I had to laugh at that.  This was the traditional set-up.  Almost.  She got into bed.

"I have to tell you something," she said sadly.  "I'm afraid the shower is off limits for us."

I leaned towards her with a smirk.  "I've never dropped you in there before have I?"  She knew full well that I liked taking a shower with her, and not just because our first one was so memorable.  Damn, it was memorable.  There was just something about seeing her in the shower, the hot water running down her body that made her absolutely irresistible.

Her eyes met mine.  "I couldn't hear your father singing in his shower before," she replied with a little shiver.  "I know you probably wouldn't be able to hear it, but I can, and that is just not right."

I laughed at her pained expression.  Okay, so hearing my father while trying to have fun in the bathroom would be the fastest way to kill the mood.  I could see that.  Hell, if I did hear him, I would certainly call it quits right then and there.  "I guess I'll have to make sure that Dad isn't in the hotel room next to us on our wedding night," I laughed.  She started laughing too, and then we both stopped suddenly, realizing what I had just said.

"I, uh, I meant…. you know…um," I stumbled, feeling like a world-class idiot.  She stopped my stuttering with a long kiss, her hand gently caressing my face.

"I know what you meant," she said with a soft smile.  That look was simply mesmerizing to me.  I leaned forward and let my lips brush against hers.  She looked away, seemingly a little embarrassed, but confessed anyways, "I can't say that I haven't ever thought about us like that."

"You know, a year ago, I would have run like hell hearing that from someone," I said.  Our eyes met.  "I'm still here, baby," I whispered.  I may not have thought of us married per se, but there was no way I could even imagine living without her.  She was my life.

We kissed again, and I pulled her down to the bed, running my hands over the soft material of the nightgown, the straps of the nightgown sliding down her arms almost by magic, satin material uncovering silken flesh.  I loved hearing her soft little cries as I kissed her body, getting completely wrapped up in the feel and taste of her skin.  There was something about Jhondie that made every time seem so natural and easy, yet still new and exciting.  It was so easy to get caught up in her, in the passion of the moment, letting everything take it's own time and course until she tensed wildly, crying out in an intense climax and I could take my own pleasure in her.

We lay together afterwards quietly, just holding each other.  Sometimes Jhondie would sleep after we made love, other times she would be totally reenergized and would be bouncing around.  I liked it better when she slept.  It was rare that I got to see her like that, and I liked watching her relax totally.  She was awake this time, but still completely limp, stretched out over my body.  I was already half-asleep, the events of the day finally catching up to me.  Even being four hours behind, the long trip and physical exertion had worn me out, and holding Jhondie after sex was more relaxing than any sleeping pill ever invented.

"You going to go to sleep?" she whispered.

"You try to kill me then wonder if I am going to stay awake?" I replied.  She giggled.  "You going to sleep?"

She snuggled a little closer.  "Not tired."  Typical.  "I just don't want to move."

I summoned the energy to drop a kiss onto the top of her head.  "Then don't, my love."

"Buenas nochescariño," she said softly.  I loved it when she spoke Spanish.  She had a way of making the language seem so sensual when it flowed off of her tongue.

"Buenas noches mi corazón, mi vida," I replied, meaning every word of it.  My heart, my life.

"I love you Justin," I heard her distantly.

"Love you too baby," I murmured and let sleep overwhelm me.


	3. & A Camera

Jhondie

We had all day in Boston before the wedding that evening.  Justin's dad was meeting some business contacts about some coast-to-coast partnership thing with his business, so we were pretty much on out own after breakfast.  We spent a few hours wandering about, seeing what there was to see.  The East Coast hadn't been hit as hard by the Pulse as the West Coast, but there was still enough to show that the country's depression had hit here pretty hard too.  A lot of places had closed, but there was still enough around to be interesting.  

We ended up back at the hotel around one in the afternoon.  We didn't have to leave for the wedding until five, but neither of us wanted to be sunburned and tired.  It would be dangerous to show the slightest weakness around Denise.  That was one girl that had gotten dropped on the head once too often as a child.

I had to go to the bathroom, and when I came out Justin was playing with his new camera that he had gotten right before we left for Boston.  He hadn't had time to play with it in LA, typical male; he brought his new toy with him.  It was one of those new ones that were instant/digital.  It could take instant photos or store the picture on flashcard.  I plopped down on the bed stretching out as he toyed with it.

"Having fun?" I asked dryly.  He didn't even look up.

"There's a lot of features I haven't played with yet," he replied absently.  "Haven't even been able to take a picture yet with it."  He held it up to where I was laying and snapped a picture quickly.

"Hey!" I protested playfully.  "You better erase that!"  He grinned at me.

"I needed something perfect to shoot," he said.  "Got to make sure all of the color contrast is right on target and all that kind of stuff."

I rolled onto my side, propped up on my elbow.  "It's not polite to take someone's picture without warning them," I said with playful menace.

He held up the camera again.  "Time to test the instants.  Consider yourself warned then."  I had to laugh, and waited for him to snap the picture.  He sighed, and lowered the camera regretfully.  "That's just not right though.  I need to really make sure I got all of the settings just right."  Our eyes met, and my heart skipped a beat.  "Take off your shirt," he ordered seductively.

My eyes widened.  "My what?"  There was no way I heard him right.

"I just want to make sure I have skin tones and the like just perfect," he replied casually.  A lazy little smile touched the edges of his mouth.  "Take it off," he said firmly.

I could not believe this.  There was no way I was going to do this.  My fingers undid the buttons of my blouse down past my chest.  The way his eyes darkened with desire was all the incentive I needed.  I was still lying on my side and simply slid my blouse off of my shoulder, letting my bra strap slide down with it.  Not exposed yet, but enough.

"How's that baby?" I purred.  He didn't have to answer.  His immediate arousal said he liked.  There was a blue flash as the first picture was taken.

"More," he whispered.  I was turned on to the point that he might be in danger, but I couldn't say no and jump him.  There was something so intoxicatingly dangerous about this that I couldn't say no to him.  Something in those dark blue eyes that held me captive to him.

I undid the rest of the buttons on my blouse, my breathing already getting ragged.  I let it drop off of my shoulder, then reached into my bra exposing my breast to him.  My thumb ran around my nipple, making me shiver.  "Oh my God," he breathed snapping another picture of me.  So deliciously wicked.

"All the way, love," he said firmly.  His tongue darted around his lips, moistening them.  "I want to see you…but do that again," he added, nodding towards where my hand was.  My blouse slid off without reservation.  I was so getting into this.  I unsnapped my bra, tossing it away from me.  I lay back flat on the bed stretching out so that he could get a good view.  My hands ran through my hair as I lay on the blanket.

"You like?" I purred.  Like I needed to ask.  In about three seconds he was going to rip the zipper out of those jeans.

"I like," he murmured, coming closer.  "But you're not done yet."  I felt myself blushing.  How far did he want to go with this?  He couldn't want me to…no; any second he was going to be stripping and then we would get serious.  Still, I would play for now.  I ran my hands up my torso, and then over my breasts, not able to stop the little gasp of pleasure.  Justin almost dropped the camera, but he got another shot off.  I was squirming a little on the bed, but kept it up, knowing what it was doing to him, and to me too.

"Jeans," he growled.  "Off.  Now."  For a second he sounded more feral than I ever had.  My mouth was dry as I unsnapped them, sliding them down my hips and kicking them off.  I reached for the edge of my panties.  "No!" Justin barked.  My eyes widened.  "Not yet, love."  Oh my God, he did want me to…and I already knew I was going to do whatever he asked.

Justin

I didn't think she would take it this far.  I thought she'd laugh and grab me and we'd be fooling around after the first picture.  God, she was beautiful, lying in bed with nothing but lacy panties on.  Her eyes were partially closed, head back just a bit so that she was completely on display to my view.  Her skin was flushed with excitement.  If I could have moved, I probably would have been on her in a second, but all I could do was stare and wonder if anyone had ever died from having blood flow cut off to the brain due to their jeans being too tight.

Those incredible eyes of her opened and met mine.  A sensual smile formed on her lips as she waited to see what I was going to do, and how far I was willing to go.  "I want to watch…" I managed to get out in a voice much more steady than I was really feeling.

"Watch what?" she teased, her fingers tracing a slow pattern on her stomach.

My eyes narrowed.  "Do it," I growled low.  She looked at me with a sexy pout.

"I want you to," she protested.

I figured out how to make my feet work and went to the side of the bed, leaning over and kissing her.  One of her hands wrapped around the back of my neck as the other one began to stroke me through my jeans.  It was a good thing we'd had sex the night before, or it would have been all over right then and there.  My lips left hers and trailed down her neck.  She let out a little whimper, pulling down my head trying to get me to move faster.  I was enjoying taking my time with her, but I finally moved down to the hard peak of her breast, teasing her with my lips and tongue.

I took the hand that was on my neck (the other one was way to busy where it was for me to even consider changing its location) and slowly slid it down her body, pressing her fingers under the elastic of her panties.  I pulled back from her, making her cry out with frustration.  Our eyes met again, this time our faces close, noses nearly touching.  "Touch yourself," I said softly, unable to believe I was really saying it.  Talk about every man's fantasy.  A beautiful, sexy woman pleasuring was herself for my benefit.  No need to pray anymore, there's nothing better to hope for.

She fell back to the bed, her hand slipping past the waistband of her panties.  Her eyes slid shut and she moaned softly as her fingers began to move.  Oh my God.  Her tongue darted over her pink lips as she writhed slightly on the bed, little moans escaping her.  Her hand left off toying with me and moved back to her breasts, playing with them as she got caught up more and more in what she was doing.  I had never in my life seen anything so erotic.

I vaguely remembered the camera in my hand.  What the hell.  Her eyes opened for a moment in surprise when she caught the flash, but she just gave me a smile, and then leaned up, lifting her breast and…I almost dropped the camera when her tongue snaked out, flicking over her nipple.  It was a good thing I still had the camera in position or I would have just stood there, stupefied, and missed the picture altogether.

Instead I quickly moved to the foot of the bed, and caught her panties, peeling them off of her quickly so I had an unobstructed view.  The last time I had a problem with certain things happening spontaneously, I was maybe fifteen or so.  In that moment of seeing her, totally caught up in what she was doing, her body aching for release, I had to fight like hell to keep from losing all control right then and there.

She was starting to whimper just a bit, her body moving rhythmically in a way that I knew very well, telling me how close she was getting.  I couldn't take it anymore.  As much as I wanted to watch to the end, there was no way in hell I could resist.  The camera rolled onto the bed as I let it go, yanking Jhondie's hand away and bending over so I could let my tongue pick up where her fingers had left off. 

She cried out in earnest, her hands grabbing the back of my head, and pressing me into her tighter as I continued to taste her, teasing her with tongue and fingers until a blue flash distracted me for a second.  I looked up and she was grinning from behind the camera.  I almost laughed, but got another picture taken instead.  Whatever.  I had better things to do than pose.  I went back to her, increasing the tempo, making her forget the camera, squirming on the bed as she was getting closer and closer to one hell of an orgasm.

I wasn't sure how I did it, but I managed to somehow grow a third arm and unsnap my jeans, simultaneously kicking them and my shoes off, while another arm kept me balanced, and another was busy with Jhondie.  I moved fast, dragging my mouth away from her sweetness and jumping onto the bed, slamming into her hard.  She didn't cry out.  She _shrieked_.  If I still had the ability to think, I might have thought I had hurt her, except the moment I was inside of her, I could feel her start to come, her fingers digging into her, her entire body contracting violently.  I couldn't slow down or do anything that resembled self-control at that moment.  It was wild, rough, and I don't think she stopped climaxing the entire time.  Well, not like it lasted a great while, I was on total sexual overload, and it seemed just a few minutes later and I was suddenly coming so hard it felt like I was being turned inside out.

We collapsed together, neither of us able to breathe for the longest time.  My heart was trying to dig its way out of my chest.  She was shaking, her skin clammy.  After a long while, we finally started to calm down, and I expended the last of my energy yanking off my shirt as Jhondie nestled in my arms.  I felt something under me, and pulled out the picture of me going down on her.  She saw it too, and we both grinned.

"You can bring that camera along anytime," she said with a little laugh.  I looked at the picture again, and thought about the others scattered on the floor.  Yes, I most certainly would be bringing it with me in the future.

"Next time, maybe we'll have to go for video," I muttered, giving her a wink.  Her reply was a light purr, and she kissed me.

"So, where are we going next weekend then?" she teased.  I didn't have the energy to reply.  I hadn't realized how useful it would be to be creative outside of the job.  Now, I was starting to think that a split major in journalism and photography was sounding better and better.  I hugged Jhondie to me, and closed my eyes, feeling her relax.  My baby.  I was out in seconds.  


	4. Oops

Jhondie

"Are you going to put those pictures away and get dressed or what?" I joked from the bathroom while Justin was lying back on the bed, flipping through the pictures we had taken earlier. 

"Hmmm…boring wedding or spending the next few hours looking at these," he debated playfully, holding up a rather provocative picture.  I was still in shock that I had been so wanton.  Can't say that I didn't enjoy it though.  Justin knew it and was having so much fun teasing me about the whole thing.  If I didn't love him, I would have to kill him.

"How about I promise the wedding won't be boring and you get dressed," I replied.  His eyebrows shot up.

"You promised," he said warningly.  I smiled sweetly and turned back to the mirror, putting on my makeup.  He slipped up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist.  I paused, putting down the eyeliner pencil when he started kissing my neck.

"You're not going to make the wedding 'interesting', remember?" he murmured.  Despite earlier, I could feel myself melting against him.  That was so not fair when he did stuff like that to me.  My hair was up in curlers, leaving my neck totally unprotected as he kissed the side of it, playing with my ear for a moment, and then working on the back of my neck, making me shiver.  "If the wedding is boring, then we can have 'interesting' when we get back here," he commented almost casually.  From his tone, had he not been pressed against me tightly, I might have not been able to tell that this was affecting him too.

"I think I would much rather it get interesting when we're alone," I said softly, and then giggled.  "Interesting in public is liable to get us arrested."  He broke off from kissing me and started laughing, his forehead pressed against my shoulder.  I laughed with him, and then caught our reflection in the mirror.  I was wearing a ratty t-shirt and shorts with my hair in curlers, and just the first part of my makeup done.  Justin was in his boxers and an undershirt, his hair still wet and slicked back, neither of us looking our best, but not caring either.  For a second I thought about last night, about us being together on a long-term basis.  I was so comfortable with him that it hadn't fazed me at all that he was seeing me like this.

"We should probably get dressed," Justin said softly, running his fingers down my arm.  "Dad's going to be knocking in a few.  He's always ready an hour before he has to be."

I turned around and we kissed gently.  "You need to let me go first," I whispered, his beautiful blue eyes drinking me in.

He touched my face, his thumb caressing my cheek.  "Not a chance in hell of that happening."  He pressed a kiss against my forehead.  "But I will let you get dressed…under protest."  I couldn't help smiling back at that.

Justin played with his hair for a few minutes, blow-drying it and trying to make it stay where it should.  A military-short cut didn't appeal to him, although he kept it neat in the back, but that would be the only thing to control all of his thick, black hair.  He finished and put on his slacks just as there was a knock at the door.  He shot me an "I told you so" grin as he went to let his dad in and I finished my makeup.  I was still thinking way too much about Justin's kisses and promises of what was going to happen later.  Zack would have been so pissed if he ever knew that I let my guard down for the sake of sentimentality.

I saw their reflection as Mr. Carter walked in.  The vanity to the bathroom faced the front door, and I realized it just a second too late.  Stupid small rooms.  Mr. Carter stopped dead, looking at me strangely.  Justin's eyes widened, and then I realized that my hair was completely up.  Oh my God.  It was the first time in my life I had ever made a mistake like that.

"Jhondie," he said curiously, "what is that thing on your neck?"  For a second I wasn't sure who was going to pass out first, me or Justin.  I turned around, trying to smile and he came up to me.

"It's a barcode," I answered.  Justin was pale.  I had thought about that if Justin and I did ever decide on making our relationship permanent, if I would tell his family or not about my past.  This was not the forum that I wanted to do it in.  I didn't want to ever tell them really.  It was dangerous for people to know.  Zack was right about that one, even if I wouldn't ever admit it to him.

"Well turn around and let me see it," he ordered, coming up to me.  There wasn't much I could do except run like hell, and that wouldn't help anyways.  I turned around, and he whistled low.  "Now how did you get that?"  I thought for a moment, and then a real smile touched my lips.  What the hell, I was in it anyways.

"It's a genetically encoded tracking system the secret government project that built me added to my DNA," I replied with a cavalier little smirk.  Justin turned green.  "Either that or my friends say that the last time I will ever get totally drunk again I was trying to scan myself in a grocery store so that I would know who I really was, and when it didn't work, I went and got a barcode tattooed on the back of my neck."

Mr. Carter burst into laughter.  Justin forced out a laugh, trying to keep from hyperventilating from relief.  "You were trying to scan yourself?" Mr. Carter asked.

"That's what I was told," I replied.  "I don't really remember much about that night, but Cheryl said that since the scanners said what kind of product was in the boxes, it would tell me the kind of person I really was.  All I know is that I woke up the next morning in a lot of pain."

Mr. Carter snickered.  "I never thought I would hear a stranger tattoo story than my brother getting a duck inked on his rear end, but I think that just topped it."  We all laughed again, a lot more naturally this time on mine and Justin's parts.

I started taking the curlers out of my hair.  "It's not exactly something I'm proud of," I replied honestly.  "As a matter of fact, even Kayla doesn't know about it.  My parents did, but they didn't want her thinking that she could have one since I did."  I glanced over at Justin.  He was holding up.  "You know how the younger siblings are always trying to imitate the older ones."

"This is true," Mr. Carter said reflectively, and then gave me a wink.  "Don't worry; she won't hear about it from my lips."  He paused for a moment.  "Why don't you just have it removed?"

I had no idea what to say.  It was a perfectly reasonable question.  God knew I wanted it off of me, but I couldn't exactly explain why it was useless.  "Because she's secretly a little wimp," Justin spoke up for me.  He grinned and walked over to me, and put his arms around my waist.  "See," he said to his father, "she's not going to tell you how she was with her friend Cheryl when she got a tattoo removed, and promptly fainted when Cheryl screamed as they started the scraping."

I stomped on his toe.  Mr. Carter laughed.  "Son, I think I'm going to leave now and let you deal with what you just did.  I'll meet you two in the lobby in half an hour."  Still snickering, he turned and left.

Both of us were on the floor, sighing with relief the minute the door swung shut.  "I didn't even think about it," Justin said.  "I don't notice it anymore, why should anyone else," he added with gentle sarcasm.

I smiled.  "You turned every color of the rainbow when I told your dad the truth."

"I was just lucky you didn't kick my a$$ when I said you were a wimp just to prove me otherwise."  With a fast burst of speed, I was on top of Justin, our noses almost touching, his wrists pinned to the floor.

"Just because I don't kick it doesn't mean I'm not going to get some kind of revenge," I replied.

His eyes twinkled.  "Now that sounds interesting."


	5. The Wedding

Justin

I once had a nightmare that Denise and I got married.  This was right at the end of our relationship, and she was blatantly hinting that I better be getting her a ring soon, and I realized that suicide was better than spending the rest of my life with her.  The worst thing she could do was kill me, and since I'd already decided that was death was the lesser of the two evils, breaking up wasn't as hard to do.  I will admit to breathing a sigh of relief when she put the Rocky Mountains in between us.

It was the nightmare that prodded me into breaking up with her the next day.  In my dream, we were at this huge church, as a matter of fact everything was huge and oddly proportioned, and there was this priest standing about twelve feet tall demanding that I recite vows.  I was going to have to love, cherish, take out the trash, have children with her, play racquetball and spend the rest of eternity with her.  Then I looked out the windows and realized I was in Hell and that the place was starting to burn down.  Denise was beside me, chanting at me to swear to be with her forever, or else.  I woke up in a sweat realizing that there was no way I would ever make that kind of commitment with her.

It was then with great relief that when I entered the church where Denise was getting married, I was merely a guest, and not the groom.  The lady on my arm was dressed in pale green, not white, and I was infinitely happier with her than I had ever been with Denise.  As the usher led us up the aisle to our seats, I couldn't help but wonder what if she was in white and I was the groom.  It was an absolutely absurd thought; there was no way I was ready to settle down and get married, but when she glanced up at me, and I could see the same thoughts in her eyes, I was honestly not overcome with the urge to run away as fast as I could.

We sat down on the pew, watching the people fill the church.  I recognized a couple of other congressmen, and several high-ranking military officials.  I could feel Jhondie's hand tighten ever so slightly as one walked right past us.  Senator Martin was on one of the senators that decided how much money went to different branches of the government, and he dealt with a lot of military people for deciding which one of their requests was going to get the money.  They were only here to do a little sucking up, not to look for transgenics.

"Recognize him?" I mouthed to Jhondie, seeing her still tense.  She shook her head slightly in the negative, but was still eyeing them.  I put my arm around her.  There wasn't anything to be worried about.  At least I hoped not.

I leaned over and whispered to her very quietly, "I think you should be more nervous about what's in your purse."  She immediately smiled, and from the way she started shaking, I knew she was trying to choke down laughter.  Right before we left, she scooped up the pictures that we had taken earlier out of the drawer I had thrown them in, and tossed them in her purse.  I asked her why she wanted to carry them along, and she said that she didn't want housekeeping to see them and decide to keep one, and she knew that if left in a suitcase, it was more possible that a parent might see them.  Keeping them on one of us was the safest bet.

Jhondie relaxed a little more after that.  Nobody was here to get her.  Her hair was down and as long as Dad didn't mention that she had something special on the back of her neck, there was no chance of one of these military types realizing who she was.  The chance of there being someone here that knew about Manticore was slim anyways, but I guess Jhondie was always going to be a little uncomfortable.  I couldn't blame her.  Sometimes when she slept she would have nightmares about Manticore.  The things she would say…it was hard to imagine anyone doing those kinds of things to children.

The church started filling up quickly, and as more people came in, Jhondie was more at ease.  The people filling the groom's side were a source of amusement.  All of them were walking around with that "I'm better than you" look, the women giving each other air-kisses and the men smiling superiorly.  Denise was going to fit in wonderfully there.  I knew a few of the people on the bride's side, a couple of cousins and an aunt and uncle.

"What the hell are you doing here?" a familiar voice asked.  I looked over my shoulder and saw Denise's cousin, Mick, standing there.  He was one of the few sane members in the family.  I think he's really the mailman's child.  I suggested that to him once, and he vehemently denied it.  He pointed out that the guy that ran the coffee shop down the street from his house was also blonde.  He started referring to the place as "Dad's Caffeine Joint" soon after.

I stood up, and gave Mick a quick hug.  "Just have to see this to believe it," I replied, grinning at him.  He knew what I meant.  He had been kind enough to keep me apprised of Denise's movements after we broke up.  That's why she wasn't quite able to run me down.

"No kidding, man," he said, shaking his head.  "She's got the poor guy totally roped in."  Mick's eyes lit onto Jhondie.  He immediately pushed past me, and slid into the pew.  "Tell me you're not with him and I shall know the true meaning of joy," he declared dramatically.  I rolled my eyes.

"Jhondie, this dimwit is Mick, Mick, this is my lovely girlfriend Jhondie," I introduced them.  "Mick thinks he's going to be an actor one day."

"That's so nice a person with a disability still has high goals," Jhondie replied sweetly.  Mick looked confused for a second.  "Doesn't it make it harder to read scripts when you only have one hand?" she asked, looking at the hand on her knee rather pointedly.  Mick moved it quickly, and then beamed at me.

"Now that's spicy!" he declared, bouncing up and licking the finger of the hand that had touched her.  "You, sir, are a lucky man!"  He winked at me, and then was off to go to the family section.  I sat back down, snickering.  Jhondie was not amused.

"He's harmless as Denise's relatives go," I explained.  "He's dramatic in front of relatives so that they'll think he's really related to them."  That got her to laugh.

"As long as he doesn't touch me again, we'll all be fine," she said.  Dad came back a minute later from talking with Mr. O'Malley outside.  The music changed slightly, and the ushers started bringing in the "honored guests".  My hand wrapped around Jhondie's and she smiled at me.  I love you, she mouthed.  I smiled back, and mouthed a single word to her.  Forever.

Jhondie

As much as I hated to admit it, the wedding was beautiful.  I mean, it was nothing short of stunning.  Denise's mother had obviously hired an incredible wedding consultant.  Everything was so perfect, right down to the little flower girl (Denise's niece from her oldest brother) who was absolutely adorable in her little peach-colored dress and the ring bearer (Justin didn't know him, thought he might be from the groom's clan) who was giving everyone a gap-toothed smile to everyone displaying his two missing front teeth.  Little kids are always so proud of losing their teeth.

The groom was rather nice looking, but his resemblance to Justin with blue eyes and dark hair was a little unnerving.  Still, he was the one she had decided to vent her twisted mind on, and that was fine by me since it meant she was going to leave Justin alone.  And as much as I really, really hated to admit it, Denise was an exquisite bride.  Her dress was off the shoulder with a very elaborate lace and pearl bodice, with the same lace patterns repeated in the skirt and the cathedral-length train.  It alone was beautiful, but with a beautiful woman in it, beaming her happiness and joy to all those that were assembled, it was a devastating combination.

It was the first formal wedding that I had ever been to.  Cheryl and Tyler had a justice-of-the-peace thing the day before they left for New York, and I had been a witness, but this was a whole different affair.  I couldn't help smiling a little as I had a totally whimsical thought about what my wedding would be like.  I knew Zack would have a heart attack if he ever heard me even thinking something like that, but I couldn't help it.  The setting was lovely, and everyone seemed so happy.  There were a several women in the crowd with tears in their eyes, and I understood how they could tear up when Bradley turned to Denise with a smile that said she was nothing short of a gift from the heavens to him.  And dammed if I didn't start crying when Justin looked at me with that exact same expression on his face.

He tightened his arm around me and handed me his handkerchief.  I was a little embarrassed, but there was something that said Justin was feeling the whole impact of the situation as much as I was.  It was easy to imagine my wedding with him as the groom.  I couldn't think of anyone I would rather have there, any more qualities in a man that I would want.  He was so perfect for me, even with his flaws and how much he aggravated me sometimes.

I almost started crying again when a singer came up and did a number.  Actually, that had most of the female guests in tears, and Denise had tears on her cheeks too.  There was something about hers that made them seem a little contrived though.  It was just enough to be seen, but not enough to ruin her makeup.  Didn't matter though as I listened to the words of the song, and thought of the man I was with.  I don't know about Denise and Bradley, but it seemed to fit Justin and I perfectly.

Can I touch you?

I can't believe that you are real

How did I ever find you?

You are the dream that saved my life

You are the reason I survived

Baby...

I never thought that I could love

Someone as much as I love you

I know it's crazy but it's true

I never thought that I could need 

Someone as much as I need you

I Love You...

Can I hold you?

Girl your smile lights up the sky

You are too beautiful for the human eye

You are the dream that never dies

You are the fire that burns inside

Baby...

I never thought that I could love

Someone as much as I love you

I know it's crazy but it's true

I never thought that I could need

Someone as much as I need you

I Love You...

You are the sunshine in the sky

You are the sparkle in my eyes

I never thought that I could love

Someone as much as I need you

I know it's crazy but it's true

I never thought that I could need

Someone as much as I need you

I LOVE YOU.

They began reciting their vows and exchanging rings after the music ended.  They sounded sincere at least as they swore to love each other forever.  Even Denise did, but they looked a little scared too.  I guess it was heady stuff to make a commitment that was going to last the rest of your life.  Bradley had an odd expression, almost like he was going to pass out or something.  It reminded me…it reminded me a little of the way Zane looked when we had to cross this flimsy rope bridge a hundred feet above a raging river.  Excitement, terror and grim determination all mixed together.  I was willing to bet getting married was a lot like live munitions drills.  You did what you thought was right and hoped for the best.

Then it was over, and Bradley was kissing Denise, and then the minister introduced us to Mr. And Mrs. Bradley Marshall.  Everyone stood as the happy couple descended down the aisle, beaming at their guests.  Denise's smile faltered ever so slightly as she saw us, but then it picked back up again.  I hadn't done a thing to mess up her wedding, so I was quite pleased with myself.  As a matter of fact, I even smiled back at her.  She quickly looked away and at her other guests.

Justin leaned over right after they passed.  "Thank you for boring," he whispered in my ear.  I grinned.  There was still the reception to go.


	6. Changing Moods

Justin

We got through the receiving line quickly, just giving a quick "congratulations" to them before I got Jhondie out of there.  She had been keeping herself under control and not doing anything mischievous, and I wanted to get her out of there before she could change her mind.  All I had to do was keep an eye on her during the reception, and the evening would go well.  Actually, I was starting to think that she wouldn't do anything intentionally.  She was smiling for real, and I was thinking that the whole romantic mood was starting to get to her too and mellow her out.  It was to me.

The reception was being held in a beautiful reception hall that almost looked like a castle on the inside.  The place must have cost a small fortune to rent, but it was incredible.  There were about four hundred guests all total, but the place wasn't overly crowded.  It did look a lot like a castle though with the high, arching stained glass windows, stone walls, and even a balcony overlooking the main dance floor like the kings and queens used to use to hold court.  

There was a formal dinner served there, and as luck would have it (or by some sneaky rearranging of the seating arrangements) we were sitting at the table with Mick and his sister.  Their parents were off somewhere else, probably trying to suck up to the "cultured" guests present.  His sister, Katie, was deaf and Mick always made sure he was around when they were with family.  He was pretty laid-back, but you could really only see his relation to Denise when someone said something about Katie.  Jhondie surprised the hell out of me once again when Katie signed something to Mick, and Jhondie laughed.  Mick looked up, and Jhondie signed something to Katie, making her smile.

Jhondie looked over at me, noting my "what the hell" expression.  "What?" she asked.  "You know I work at the hospital during the summer.  You pick up a lot there."

"How much else is there I need to learn about you?" I asked.  She was forever pulling something to keep me on my toes.

She shot me a wicked grin.  "You really want me to answer that here?"  Mick choked on his roasted potatoes.

"You are one lucky bastard," he commented, and then repeated the conversation to Katie who smiled wider.

Dinner was a pleasant affair from that point.  There were nine people at the table, and I was glad the sane outnumbered the insane at our little island of humanity.  Dad was with us, and he had always liked Mick, and Jhondie and Katie kept up a run of "girl talk".  I wasn't sure how anyone could eat dinner and sign at the same time, but Jhondie managed it quite well.  When it came to food, there was no obstacle too great for her.

There was a toast to the happy couple, and the Best Man stood.  He had enough of a resemblance to Bradley that I assumed he had to be a relative.  Someone handed him a microphone, and he took a deep breath.  I would have too if I was giving a speech that could displease Denise, and she was sitting with a knife close by.  "When we were little," he began, "Brad and I would laugh at girls and throw things at them and swear we were never going to be infected with girl-germs."  There was a rumble of laughter from the guests.  "But time goes on and we grew up.  At least I did."  He paused a beat for the laughter that came.  "And then Brad goes out and runs smack into some girl, and promptly forgets all about girl-germs, and all those promises to never, ever like a girl.  He found the one woman who transcended all of that, and made him a better person."  

I couldn't help shooting Jhondie a smile at that line.  It was fitting.  She smiled back, reading my mind.  Best Man continued.  "So," he said, "I would like to propose a toast to the happy couple.  To life, to love, to the times of sadness that bond two people closer together, and the moments of happiness that make it all worthwhile.  To the pleasure and to the pain.  To the past, the present, and the long future together.  Salute!"  And with that over four hundred people drank to their happiness. 

I hoped they were happy, I really did.  And it wasn't just to keep her away from me either.  I didn't have what was needed to overcome her mental problems.  I couldn't deal with it, and if the smiling groom could, then more power to him.  Of course, it was more likely he had no idea they existed, but that wasn't my problem anymore.

While we were finishing up dinner, and the guests were starting to mingle, Bradley and Denise started circulating in the crowd, thanking everyone for coming and being with them.  Bradley got to our table first, and I couldn't help but be interested in the kind of guy that would take such a chance.  He knew Mick, and Mick introduced us as "friends from LA".  Bradley seemed somewhat interested, but not really.  He seemed like he would rather be at one of the tables with a congressman or two.

"Denise and I went to high school together," I explained.

He smiled superiorly.  "Ah, yes, your father and Denise's are partners correct?"

"In part, yes," I replied, not liking the jerk.  I wasn't feeling very sorry for him anymore.

"You back at Harvard after the honeymoon?" Mick asked, with his "interested" look.  I almost laughed.  Mick would do something like that, get an answer and then say something totally off the wall, like "sucks to be you" and then wander off.

Bradley smiled.  "Have to get back to the grindstone ASAP," he replied.  He looked at me with a little smirk, and I had a feeling he knew who I was.  "I'm going to Harvard Law right now.  I'd love to take more time off, but when you are top of the class, you have to work hard to keep it.  When I graduate, only the best will approach me."

With that Denise walked over to us.  Bradley smiled at her as his arm encircled her waist.  I had wondered how contrived their match was, but as much as I didn't like him, I had to admit he really seemed as though Denise was more than a status symbol.  For an instant she beamed at him, and then gave me such an odd look, that I felt uncomfortable.  It seemed to say, "This should be us".  Bradley caught it, and his smile dropped just a notch.

"Bradley, love, Mother says it's time to do the dance," she said, smiling again.  "And you know how she is about her schedule."

He seemed recovered.  "Right, angel.  I wouldn't want to upset her on my first day of her being my mother-in-law."  They both laughed, and then Denise looked back where I was standing, with my arm around Jhondie.  She smirked at Jhondie, and I could read her thoughts.  She didn't think Jhondie could do anything to her at her wedding.  As long as I kept them apart all would be well.

"I was surprised to see you made it," she said to me.

"You know me, just full of surprises," I replied.

"Besides," Jhondie said sweetly, "there was no way we would miss seeing you happily married to your Mr. Right."

Even Bradley caught the venom in that remark.  And the way Denise seemed to back down from Jhondie.  I was willing to bet he had never seen her back down before.  "Sweetheart," he said, tugging on her arm gently.  "I don't want to get into your mother's bad graces just yet."

She smiled at him again.  "Of course not."  She looked back at us.  "Well, enjoy yourselves."  With that, she let herself be led off.

We wandered towards the dance floor, and I whispered to Jhondie, "You are so bad, you know that don't you?"

She grinned.  "You wouldn't want me any other way."  I had to laugh.  She was so right.

The bride and groom led out the first dance, and then there was the traditional father/daughter and mother/son dance.  I had to admit that Denise was a great dancer.  In a twisted way, I was grateful to her for getting me to learn how to dance.  Jhondie enjoyed it, and I was glad I didn't look like an idiot when I was with her.  I hadn't really liked dancing, in my opinion it was one of those things that guys just weren't designed to look good doing (like naked jumping jacks – just not a good idea), but getting the chance to be close to her and make her smile was worth it.

Another slow song started and I looked down at Jhondie.  "May I have this dance, my lady?" I asked playfully, taking her hand, and bringing it to my lips.  She just laughed and we went out onto the dance floor.  My arm wrapped around her as I took her hand and we started to move in an easy rhythm.  Our eyes met, and I felt like we were alone in the world, just the two of us together as I heard the music and moved with it.

Maybe it's intuition

But some things you just don't question

Like in your eyes

I see my future in an instant

And there it goes

I think I've found my best friend

I know that it might sound more than a little crazy

But I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

I know some people might think we were showing off a little, but I wasn't paying attention to the rest of the world.  Despite Denise's ability, Bradley and Denise had seemed very stiff and unsure together, like they were just swaying for the pictures.  Jhondie and I moved together so easily and naturally, it was like we had been together for lifetimes.  I caught more than a few people watching us as I twirled Jhondie, and then brought her back into my arms.  If they thought we seemed happy together, they didn't know the thousandth of it.

There's just no rhyme or reason

Only this sense of completion

And in your eyes

I see the missing pieces

I'm searching for

I think I've found my way home

I know that it might sound more than a little crazy

But I believe

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

She was against me again, and our lips met in a soft, brief kiss.  I was falling more and more in love with her every day, and I didn't see any way in that was ever going to change.  When we broke off, our eyes met, and I had never seen her look so radiant, the softness in her eyes making me wish I had something, anything circular that could substitute as a ring for now.  Had we been close enough to a table, I might have grabbed a napkin ring.

A thousand angels dance around you

I am complete now that I've found you

I knew I loved you before I met you

I think I dreamed you into life

I knew I loved you before I met you

I have been waiting all my life

For a moment she looked almost sad.  She smiled a little.  "I don't know if this is something I can ever really have," she whispered.  "Tell me I'm not being unfair to you."

There were too many people around to say what I wanted to her.  They were watching us from the dancing, and I didn't need them to hear what was private and belonged only to her and I.  I smiled, and switched to Spanish.  "Cuando estoy contigo, todo es perfecto. Eras el solo más bella, increíble mujer que he conocido siempre. Hay nadie que pueda compara contigo."

Her eyes filled with tears.  "Te amo," she whispered back at me.  "Para siempre."

We were near the edge of the dance floor now, a little ways away from the majority of the people.  It was like they knew not to be near us and wanted us to have a moment to ourselves.  Senator Martin was close by talking to one of his military friends, but they were out of hearing range.  I took a deep breath.  To hell with a ring.  Maybe it was the moment, but I didn't care.  I loved her.  I would always love her.

Our eyes met.  "Jhondie," I whispered softly.  She was glowing, and I thought she might know what I was trying to say.  "I..." I got out, breaking off when the glow was suddenly replaced by shock.  Her head cocked slightly, as she jerked closer to me as if we were still dancing.  I could feel the acceleration of her heartbeat.

"Nobody knows about me...they can't know," she whispered.  She was scared.  God help me, she was scared.

"What's wrong?" I breathed into her ear.  "There's no way anyone could know about it."

She pulled back a little so our eyes met.  "Then why is Senator Martin talking about Don Lydecker's new weapons systems?" 

*********

Translation of the Spanish:

Justin:  When I am with you, everything is perfect.  You are the single most beautiful, incredible woman I've ever known.  There is no one to compare to you.

Jhondie:  I love you.  For always.


	7. Manticore Details

Jhondie

I try not to think about Manticore.  I mean, I can't help but think about how I am and what I can do, but I try not to think about what happened there.  I hate remembering what we went through, and the most terrifying thought of all is "what if we didn't escape?".  I think about that sometimes, and wonder what would have happened.  Would we have become nothing more than mindless killing machines?  Maybe.  I knew there was a group there that was a little younger than us, but none of us had contact with them.  I think Zack knew one of them, but I never met one.  They kept us all seperate.  They never ran when we did.  Never had a chance.  They would be...sixteen or so now I think.  Don Lydecker's weapons systems.

I was still pressed very close to Justin.  He couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could.  "I knew I should have stayed," the other man was saying to Senator Martin.  "Damn!  But there was that emergency in Texas..."

"We thought we had it under control," the Senator replied.  "I almost had the Executive Committee convinced, but that...that thing...I wasn't expecting it to be so...so..." he couldn't finish.  My stomach was in a knot.  It?  Thing?  My grip on Justin tightened.  It would take about three seconds to make them see we were just as real as they were.  Maybe even more so.

The Senator looked around.  "Let's go upstairs," he said.  The other man nodded, and they slipped out.

"I need to follow them," I whispered to Justin.  "They don't seem to like Manticore much, and something happened they really don't like.  I want to know what the hell they are talking about."

"If they see you, they're going to find out who you are and where you come from," he whispered back urgently.  "There's no hiding if they see you."  For a second he sounded so much like Zack I wanted to slap him.

I pulled back a little and smiled at him.  "I just won't get caught," I said with a tiny smile.  He wasn't amused.  I couldn't help but be a little frustrated.  "Justin, I'm just a guest.  I don't know what they are talking about, and I know how to do surveillance remember?  On the remote chance they see me, I'm just looking for the bathroom."

"Don't do this," he pleaded.  I wanted so much to say okay, and then just go back onto the dance floor just to get the worry from his eyes.

"I have to know," I whispered.  "If they're talking about what I think they are, then I have to know every detail.  If not and they realease them; I have no idea what could happen."  He looked a little confused.  I had never mentioned the X-6 to him before.  "I'll explain later," I promised, and then pulled away from him gently.  He didn't look happy, but he let me go.

I headed off in the direction the men had gone.  There was a staircase right there, and I had a feeling they might have gone into one of the dressing rooms or offices on the second floor.  I took a glance back at Justin before I ran up there, and he had left the floor and was circulation as if nothing was wrong.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  As long as he didn't stay with one group too long, my absence wouldn't be noticed.  I took a deep breath and went upstairs as quietly as I could.

I walked down the long hallway, listening as carefully as I could.  One of the ushers was screwing the maid of honor in a closet.  I could have done without hearing that.  After a few minutes I found the room my quarry was in.  I went around the side of the room and crouched down near the hall.  If anyone noticed me, I would simply say I was walking around and lost my contact lens.  It worked like a charm.  I could hear their voices clearly, their words making me shiver.  I was right.  The X-6 were very much viable.

"Tony," Senator Martin was saying, "I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.  We had them.  I was up all night and I figured out how to counter that cute little demonstration, and then she didn't even hesitate for a second."

Who didn't hesitate doing what?  Damn, they better give out some better information than this.

"You should have shot that little bitch when you had the chance," Tony replied angrily.  "I never thought you were the type to wimp out from sheddding a little blood Phil."

"Are you that blind?" came the angry retort.  "Jessup has got a picture of his fifteen year old daughter in his office.  Did you see what she was wearing?  How she had her hair?  It didn't matter that she didn't sound like she was a teenager, she made him think about his kid.  They would have only seen me blow away their pretty little daughters or granddaughters."

There was silence for a second, and then Tony spoke, sounding slightly amused.  "You're starting to do it too."

"What?"

"She.  You call them he's and she's, and the next thing, you're going to mistake them for human."  I really wanted to slap the crap out of this guy.

When Senator Martin spoke again, he sounded resigned.  "I wish you hadn't of had that emergency," he said.  "Maybe if you had been there the next day...maybe if you had given the order she wouldn't have done it and proven the point."

"Why didn't you give the order?" Tony asked.

I could almost see the shrug.  "I could be dismissed as a civilian.  She..it...they...it's all been military for them.  They might ignore Senator Phillip Martin and get away with it, but if General Anthony Hepburn had given an order and it was disobeyed; that would speak volumes."

"I read the reports," Tony said.  "Kellman's from the night before it happened, and then a write up on what happened in the meeting."

"Did you see the tape?" Senator Martin asked.

"No," Tony replied and then continued with licentitious undertones, "was it that...interesting?"

Senator Martin snorted.  "Not like that, but interesting in itself.  You know how you ordered Kellman to see how well it really blended in with others the night after the match up?"

"I thought he would give a more slanted opinion after what had happened," Tony said.  "I had to leave that night, and only got the reports the next evening.  It seemed all was well.  Too well for my taste."

"Too well my sweet ass," the senator spat out.  "After it pulled that little stunt in front of the committee, I spent all night pacing in my office trying to figure out how to stop the committee from letting it all go, and Kellman decided to help her celebrate a win.  Took her out to dinner that night."

"That wasn't part of his orders," Tony said tersely.

"I know that!" Martin snapped back.  "Apparently, she…it…whatever…blended in *SO* well, your fearless Kellman forgot to remember what he was dealing with.  He said later that he liked her, and didn't need to be ordered to spend time with her."

From the way his volume was raising and falling, I could tell he was pacing.  I wanted to bust into that room and kick some sense into the both of them.  I didn't care that the X-6 were raised Manticore.  We were human beings, all of us.  It was their fault that we were born.  But there was a big question.  Not everyone was for Manticore?  There were some people that would like to see it shut down?  As much as I wanted to remove a vital organ or two, there was that old saying: the enemy of my enemy is also my friend.

Martin continued.  "I got to see the tape.  I must have watched it a dozen times since then.  Kellman escorts the most advanced killing machine ever created into the lobby of the hotel, right up to the elevators, and right before it gets on, he kisses her good night.  Nothing wild, just a kiss.  According to what Lydecker said later, Kellman didn't know it, but that was the first time she had contact in such an intimate fashion with anyone.  Then the tape switches to her in the elevator just staring all starry-eyed with a cute little smile.  It follows her getting off of the elevator, and she's floating down the hall, just like any real kid would be doing after her first kiss.  She was even humming."

"Jesus Christ," Tony muttered in disgust.  I found myself rooting for the X-6.  Every second she found herself taken from Manticore and doing what she shouldn't was another second she spent in freedom.  Enough of those and she would want the full treatment.

"So the next day, I've talked to the committee.  Sure, they are exactly what they seem to be, but what happens if you give an order they don't want to obey?  After what she had done yesterday, it was obvious that there was some human emotion there.  What if one of them decided something was wrong or immoral?  Would they do it?  And then the committee posed that question to Lydecker."

Tony blew out a breath.  "Deck's a slippery bastard.  You should have known he would be ready for a question like that."

"I wasn't expecting him to put on show and tell," came the dry response.  "I don't think you could have estimated the amount of faith he had in 'his kids'.  He whips out the tape and shows it to all of us.  They all wanted to be disturbed, but they couldn't help but think how cute it was.  I could see it in their eyes."

"Then he puts it away and calls 608 and Kellman into the room.  He tells Kellman to wait at one side of the table, and then has her come to him.  He tells her that's he's giving her a direct order to eliminate a target.  She doesn't flinch; hell, she's heard it before.  Then he offers her a pistol and says the target is Kellman, and then something like Gamma Echo."

"That's the blast pattern she was to use," Tony said distantly.  I knew that.  Gamma Echo meant three shots to the chest, and then a head shot to make sure.  For some reason, there were times when they would want a target to be shot more than once.  It wasn't our place to question why it was.  We were just supposed to obey.  Bastards.

"She didn't hesitate," Martin said, and I could hear real horror in his voice.  It was the same as I felt.  God, they had really created what they were after.  If they had them, did that mean they wouldn't want anymore X-5's?  Why look for us when they had the X-6?  It was a dangerous thought.  Too comfortable.  I would love to believe it.  But in my heart, I knew Lydecker would look for us until his dying day.

"I told you they weren't human," Tony said back in a low voice.  "The reports didn't say much about her behavior, just that she obeyed."

"Don't you see?" Martin said, sounding almost desperate.  "She didn't want to.  It was obvious!  But I watched 608 turn, raise the gun and pull the trigger three times.  Maybe she paused for just a second when she looked at Lydecker and knew he was serious, but when she turned, she didn't hesitate for a second.  Kellman was thrown to the ground, and it walked right up to him, and just before the final shot, Lydecker stopped the demonstration.  Said the order was rescinded.  You would have thought that her face was a mask; it was so devoid of expression."

"Then she looked around," he continued.  "God, she was furious.  She knew what it was all for, and…I can't even describe it.  You warn me about mistaking them for human, and I guarantee you would have then too.  She *knew* from the time Lydecker gave her the order what it was all about and why the target was Kellman."  His next words were spoken slowly and with great deliberation.  "She…did…not…want…to…do…it."

"When Lydecker told her to stop, for a second, I was almost scared.  I thought she was going to go after all of us, and then she…she asked if there was anything else that was needed.  She was keeping control over herself, but she seemed like she wanted to scream or something.  Lydecker told her that she could leave, and she threw down the gun and walked out.  One of the other guards was helping Kellman up.  Apparently, there had been an order that all personnel in the building wear bulletproof vests that day.  608 didn't know that."

"Lydecker looked around with that smug expression and asked if there were any questions.  Jessup asked where 608 was going and if he had sent her out just because he didn't know if he could control her.  Lydecker grabbed a radio and ordered her to return.  She said she was on her way back, and walked back into the room a minute later just as cool as you could please.  Like nothing could touch her.  Total ice.  But she wouldn't look at Kellman.  Lydecker told her that that Jessup needed some help carrying some things to his car.  She looked at Jessup and coolly asked if he needed help now or later.  He told her later was fine, and Lydecker dismissed her."

There was a long pause.  Then Tony spoke up again.  "If we could just have another '09, then there wouldn't be any debate."  My heart was slamming in my chest.  What would it take for another '09?  And was there another way?  What if I walked into that room and showed them my barcode?  Would the want reinforcements?  Would they tell me how to take it down?  There had to be something that would make them cut off funding besides an escape.  I was a second away from walking in there when I heard Tony speak again.

"So why Renfro?  'Deck was pissed as hell that he wasn't given the directorship when Pete retired."

Senator Martin laughed.  "Lydecker cut his own throat.  He was told that he needed to keep up with having the direct contact with 'his kids' since he had shown how much he could control them.  Tried to protest and say 608 would be their leader, and he would give her the orders to pass on, but the committee nixed that.  They aren't ready for one of them to have real authority."

"Thank God for small favors," Tony muttered.  "That would be like placing a gun in charge.  Those things are weapons, not leaders."  There was no way I was going into that room now.  Maybe I would talk to the Senator, but if I had to look at that guy and he called me an "it", the gloves would be off.

"Renfro was perfect to take over," Martin explained.  "She sees them as weapons, not kids.  And she's not intimidated by Lydecker like Pete was.  She won't hesitate to slam him down and remind him who's in charge.  Pete was worried one of Lydecker's kids would pay a visit, but her ego won't allow for that possibility.  He started to fight her and she mentioned that one of them, 674, wasn't performing to standards and should be used for spare parts for the others.  He shut up quickly."

"Was it removed from service?" Tony asked quickly, the raw greed in his voice making my stomach clinch.  He thought we were less than human?  "608 was very close to the others, enough to die for them.  Something like that might provoke an '09"

"674 was the one in the accident a couple of weeks ago," Martin replied flatly.  "Tony, was that a real accident?"

"Six real men were lost in that as well," Tony replied a little angrily.  "I didn't order it, and from what I know, nobody else did either.  It was just one of those things."  He sighed.  "There's got to be another way."

"All it would take would be for one to run away, and that would be enough," the Senator replied.  "Damn," he muttered.  "I need to get back.  Doreen is going to kill me if I miss any of the photo-moments for Denise."

They were moving closer to the door and I hunkered closer to the wall.  "Another '09," Tony said softly.  They paused in their exit.

"What are you thinking?"

"Nothing for sure," Tony replied, and I could hear the smile in his voice.  "You said yourself it would only take one."  He blew out a little breath.  "Let me think on this for a while."  Senator Martin padded away, and I heard Tony say very softly, "If his star was gone, then it would all fall down, and I would retire a very, very rich man."  He laughed lightly and then followed the senator's exit.


	8. There Goes the Bride

Jhondie

It took me a minute, but I was finally able to slowly stand up when they were gone.  I leaned against the wall and thought about all that I had heard.  Not everyone liked Manticore.  I had never even contemplated that scenario before.  I would have thought that all those higher-ups liked the idea of a bunch of transgenics running around to be cannon fodder rather than "real people".  Tony was the military guy.  Maybe he thought Manticore would edge out regular soldiers.  Maybe chimeras just freaked him out in general.  He didn't matter anyways.  There was no way I would talk to him.  I'd end up decking him, and that wouldn't help my case that we could be normal people on the outside.  Senator Martin…maybe…but that was still a major what if.

I walked down the hallway looking for a bathroom.  I wanted to make sure I didn't look like I had just been eavesdropping on highly classified material.  It wouldn't look good if Justin was downstairs and I came down with my hair and makeup messed up.  Maybe I should call Zack and tell him everything.  He'd probably tell me to get out of Boston ASAP, but maybe he would be interested.  This might be our ticket to freedom.  Or would they double-cross us and try to recreate Manticore the way they wanted to.

I was thinking too much and looking down instead of where I was going.  I had a little bit more on my mind then the wedding or guests or even the bride.  Which is exactly why I walked right into her.  I didn't know there was a room up here for the bride to repair her hair and makeup or whatever.  I jumped back, startled, and for a moment, she looked abjectly terrified.  Then she smirked sweetly.  I didn't want to deal with her.  I wanted to go downstairs and maybe talk to Justin, but I really needed to think things out.  I tried nice, I really did.

"Excuse me," I said distantly.  The majority of my mind was running through the possibilities.  Talking at the wedding was a bad idea.  Maybe I could call Senator Martin.  No, he'd never believe it unless he saw my barcode.  Maybe…

"Are you looking for Justin up here?" Denise asked with saccharine sweetness.  She had mistaken my distance for deference.  Later I realized that she must have thought she was safe and I was trying to avoid her because I couldn't do anything to her.  One look at the smirk, and I knew what she was saying.  Maybe he's up here with me.

"If he's in the ladies room, then I don't want to know he's up here," I replied.  Be nice.  Justin promised interesting if you would just behave.  This is not the crowd you want to draw attention to yourself in.  At least two people might ask questions you don't want to have to answer.  "Beautiful wedding," I added politely.  "Congratulations to the both of you."  Wow.  Even Irene would have to be proud of that one.  Time to make an exit.  Idiot decided to continue it instead of letting me make a graceful exit stage left.

"It was, wasn't it?" she beamed.  I understood that she was about to make a pointed remark somewhere in that sweetness.  Walking away right then would have been the best bet.  I just couldn't.  "Mother and Phillip went so overboard, but I certainly can't complain."  She sighed.  "It's amazing how all this pulled together so easily."  Her eyes fastened on mine, and I could feel her eagerness to see my response when she added, "and to think, nine months ago, Bradley and I didn't even know each other."

I got the jibe.  Bitch.  So what.  Justin and I had been together longer than them, and we were "still dating".  Just because we hadn't made a formal, public declaration didn't mean we were less than them.  I certainly didn't need some minister to tell me that I loved Justin and that we were bound together.  We both knew that already.  But, the whole dress and reception thing was kind of cool.  And I knew Justin looked so hot in a tux.  But it wasn't required to have us in a committed relationship.  That was already there, and the rest was just for show.  A really cool show, but a show nevertheless.

I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it.  "Well, I certainly hope your marriage beats the statistics," I said.  "Or do you believe that old saying, 'marry in haste, repent in leisure'?"

Her eyes flamed at me.  She wasn't expecting a comeback like that.  "Bradley," she said slowly and with great dignity, "believes in making commitments.  It's so rare to find a man that isn't afraid to make a serious commitment.  Most of them turn and run when it's time to get serious."  Yeah, like it was hard to figure out why men wouldn't want to commit to her.

I was not in a mood to hear it.  "Well, male or female, most people know that commitment is a bad idea when their significant other decides to kill their pets."  Justin had told me about the bleach in the goldfish's bowl.

She paled a bit but didn't back down.  The girl was obviously mental if she had forgotten our last little girl-talk.  Maybe she thought she was safe in Boston, but that was a bad assumption.  "Just what the hell are you saying?" she hissed at me.

I gave her my best sneer of superiority.  "You," I said firmly, "are a total psycho hose beast, and that's why the love or your life is going to be in my bed tonight and not yours.  Want the visual aids to that, sweetheart?"

There is no rational explanation.  I could claim temporary insanity after all I had been through that day.  I opened my purse, and in about half a second found the exact picture I was looking for.  Justin and I were very open with each other about our experiences and what we had done with other people before we got together.  There was a little something that Justin admitted to me that he had never liked and had only done when absolutely forced, but he liked with me.  What can I say; I believe in regular bathing I guess.

I held up the picture and smirked.  "See, proof that once Justin got away from your psychotic self, he did like the fresh taste of sanity." 

Her eyes went huge as her face flushed crimson with shock and fury.  Her mouth opened and shut several times like a demented guppy as the realization of what she was seeing sunk into her little brain.  She had the rich husband, and would get to life the high-class life of a future politician's wife.  I would have Justin.  Money and power wasn't in the cards, but I would be the one to snuggle up to Justin at night, and that was far more important.  And she was staring at the evidence that he would do anything to make me happy.  From the smile on his face in the picture, he was really enjoying making me happy.

"You…you…YOU BITCH!" she screamed, grabbing at the picture, her hands hooked into harpy-like talons.  Her fingers skated on the edge, ripping off a small corner before I snatched it out of her grasp.

"What's wrong?" I mocked.  "Is this what you were hoping for when you broke into Justin's room?  Or maybe this is when you pretend Bradley is Justin."  I spun around and glanced over my shoulder.  "And in case you're wondering, he is *damn* good."

She screeched and jumped at me again, but I was off before she could lay a hand on me.  Tearing her apart might have been more satisfying, but I was still smarting from the Senator and his friend's comments.  I could handle an argument without kicking butt.  Besides, this was kind of fun having her chase me, letting her stay just a hair too far back.

I put in a little extra speed and whipped around a corner, her squeal of frustration music to my ears.  She was letting out a series of guttural threats and names, but I wasn't really listening.  I was giggling at her and just staying ahead.  I glanced back as I turned a corner, the snarl on her face making me laugh harder.  This was SO what I needed to feel better.

The hallway was shorter than I thought it would be.  I had glanced back, and her snarl suddenly became triumphant.  I looked back to my front and there was a large double door in my way.  Not a problem for me you nutcase.  A second before I hit the door, I jumped, grabbing the top of the doorframe and flipping myself up so that I was basically doing a handstand.  Denise was going way too fast to stop, and I knew I was going to enjoy seeing her slam into the closed (and hopefully locked) doors.

The doors weren't locked.

They swung outward.

On the other side of the doors was about a two-foot wide balcony where the bride was supposed to toss her bouquet off of.  There was a railing, but Denise had a long train and very high heels.

From my vantage, I couldn't exactly see what happened.  But I heard the screams and the crash.  I risked a tiny peek.  Denise wasn't on the balcony any more.

Oops.


	9. The Other Side

Justin

I walked around the reception, talking to a couple of people that I knew, and trying not to stay in one crowd too long.  I didn't want anyone to notice that Jhondie had been in the "bathroom" for an awful long time.  Katie asked me where she was, and Mick translated for me that dinner didn't quite agree with Jhondie.  Katie grinned and said Denise probably poisoned her food.  I didn't disagree.  Denise probably would have if she could have.  At least Denise was down here and not causing any problems.

I wanted to know what Jhondie was hearing.  The way she was talking made it seem like there were others that could come after her.  I knew not all of the X-5 had escaped.  God, I hoped she wasn't planning on letting Senator Martin know who she was.  She said they were acting like they didn't like Manticore, but that could change the second they had a rogue walk up to them and expose her barcode.

I was talking to Mick and a friend of Bradley's from Harvard, who I must say was much more interesting than his friend, when Denise came up to us.  "Last chance for me to wander around," she said, casually interrupting our conversation.  We forgot that the world revolved around her for a moment I guess.  "Mother is going to have us busy with the cake and bouquet and such in a few minutes," she added.

I glanced back to the stairs.  No Jhondie.  It had been almost twenty minutes.  Where was she?  I wondered if she had walked into wherever they were talking.  I was going to give her another fifteen minutes, and then I was going after her, no matter what.  I was too busy thinking about Jhondie to run when I heard the first chords of the next song being played.  "She's All I Ever Had" by Ricky Martin.  Me and Denise's song to be exact.  Wasn't that an amazing coincidence?

Her eyes lit up and she looked at me.  "Now you know we've never heard that song without dancing to it," she said, and grabbed my hand.  She was couth enough not to add that if we weren't dancing vertically to it, she would have us dancing horizontally.

"I, uh…" I tried to protest as she started dragging me to the dance floor.  I didn't want to call attention to the fact that Jhondie had been gone a while, but I didn't want her coming back and seeing me with Denise either.  I figured it would be easier to explain things to Jhondie then deal with Denise causing a huge scene, so I let myself be dragged out onto the floor.

Denise tried to get just a little too close, but I kept her at a proper distance.  Nuns at a parochial school wouldn't have been able to complain.  I had danced with Denise a million times, but this time it felt odd.  My hands weren't in the right places, and I realized it was because she was just wrong.  I was so used to Jhondie's body that I couldn't get comfortable.  I think she could tell something was wrong because I wasn't moving like I was earlier with Jhondie, although we were doing much better than her and Bradley had done.  She wasn't the dancer Jhondie was, and it was awkward.  She pretended not to notice, I think.

"I am so glad you're here," she said softly.

"Well, you know me," I replied rather vaguely.  She was working her way closer to me, and I was trying to back up without shoving her off of me.  I twirled her gracefully, and when she was back around, I caught her further back then she had moved up to.  Ha!

"You and me here," she said dreamily.  "It just doesn't seem real."  I could feel my heartbeat increase.  Was she fantasizing that this was our wedding?  Crap.

"Well, I'm glad you found the right guy and married him," I said pointedly.  I discreetly glanced around, looking for the groom.  Please let him come in here and save me.  Maybe he was being smart and climbing out a window while she was distracted.

"I certainly did," she replied in that same dreamy voice.  She was creeping closer again.  Couldn't she tell that I wasn't interested?  When Jhondie and I were together, we were a breath apart.  I was holding Denise like she had a pair of dirty gym socks in her bra.

"Well, your mother certainly did a great wedding for you and Bradley," I said, desperate for something that would remind her of a little thing I like to call reality.  "Jhondie and I were talking that if we ever took the plunge, we didn't think we could pull off something at this scale."

"You're thinking about…being with her permanently?" she asked, the dreamy expression dropping as she returned to Earth.

"There's nothing formal," I said, "but yeah, it's that serious."

"You've only been together a short time," she said quickly, her voice rising in pitch, as she looked for a way to stop this breach in her little delusion.  "You said that you wouldn't ever get married to someone you hadn't been with for at least five years."

I shrugged.  "I hadn't met her when I said that either."  She didn't say anything back.  How could she?  The song wound to a close, and I let her go as her mother bustled up.

"Honey," Mrs. Martin said.  "You need to run upstairs and fix yourself.  We need to have you perfect for pictures."

Denise stepped away from me, looking dazed.  She looked back at her mother, then me, then her mother again.  "Pictures," she said, sounding slightly strangled.  "Yes, pictures."  She smiled.  "I must look my best, right."

Mrs. Martin looked confused.  "Would you like Candace to help you?" she asked.

Denise shook her head.  "No, mother," she answered more naturally this time.  "I'll be back in just a few minutes."  She scampered away quickly, heading up the stairs.  I didn't think there was a chance of her running into Jhondie.  Jhondie didn't want to be seen, and when she didn't, she wasn't.

I checked my watch.  Another ten minutes and I was going up there.  If she was talking to them, then they were going to connect her to my family anyways, so me being there wasn't going to do much.  I couldn't believe that she would do that anyways.  It wasn't safe for her.  But it might be her one shot at being free from Manticore.  God, I hoped she was being careful.

"Need some disinfectant?" Dad asked, coming up beside me.  He had been talking to Mr. O'Malley while Denise and I were dancing, and had looked like he was going to burst into laughter at seeing me try to fend Denise off of me.

I smiled.  "I thought you were supposed to use salt to get a leech to let go," I replied.  He laughed lightly.

"Where's Jhondie?" he asked.  Damn.  Dad was more perceptive then most.

"Um, she's in the bathroom," I answered.  I couldn't lie very well to my father.  Didn't have the practice in it most guys my age did.

Dad gave me an odd look.  "She's been gone for a while."

I shrugged.  "I think being nice got to her and she needed a few minutes to herself."

"Good thing she missed that," Dad remarked, indicating the dance floor.  Five more minutes.

"Yeah," I replied, quite honestly.  "But I think I let Denise know where we stood."

Dad went to say something else when a faint shriek floated down to us.  Hundreds of pairs of eyes immediately looked up to where the balcony was that the bride was supposed to too her bouquet off of.  The doors to it flew open, slamming against the walls hard enough to crack into the plaster, and Denise was coming through them like a 747 coming in for landing.

The next events, though they happened in less than a second, seemed to drop into slow motion.  One second Denise was on the balcony, trying to slow down, but her dress and heels were tripping her up.  A loud scream echoed through the hall as she hit the railing of the balcony, the mass of her dress combining with her momentum to make her continue moving into and then over the railing.  For a second she hung suspended, and then plummeted down, her train streaming gracefully behind her.

It wasn't a far fall really.  It wouldn't have been so bad except that Mrs. Martin had really gone all out for the wedding and used ice sculptures for decoration.  She was pleased with the punch bowl.  It was a particularly ornate sculpture.  It certainly made for an interesting display as Denise crashed into it from above, shattering bowl, table and splashing punch in all directions.

I glanced up to the open doors and caught just the slightest hint of green that suddenly blurred with super-fast motion.  Well, I guess someone wasn't spilling her guts to the US government.  I wasn't sure for a moment which option I would have preferred.  Killing Denise at her wedding was a little more than I was expecting when I thought of the things Jhondie might do.

Dad and I went quickly over to where everyone was gathering around Denise.  From the screaming, she couldn't have been hurt too terribly bad.  Bradley was with her and her parents and the wedding party was all around, and people were talking, but not much could be heard over the shrieks.  I almost laughed when I saw her.  It was bad, I know, but seeing her in the center of a shattered table, in a puddle of melting ice, her white dress now various shades of pink and white, it was funny as hell to say the least.  I think that's when I forgave her for intentionally putting the red shirt in with my laundry that time because I didn't want to wear black silk boxers for her.

Denise was finally stopping screaming, and that's when I noticed her wrist was at a rather odd angle.  She was clutching it as her wails were tapering off to breath-hitching.  "She's never going to get that dress clean again," Jhondie said very low from almost behind me.  I glanced over my shoulder, and she shrugged a little.  "A real pity," she added with an innocent smile.  I stared at her for a second, and her cute smile faded.  "I never touched her," she mouthed.  I wanted to believe that.

"Denise, sweetheart, what happened?" Bradley cried out, trying to get his arms around his new wife.  The emergency room was not exactly the way he was expecting to spend his wedding night I was sure.

"I…and then…I…and…" she sputtered, her eyes darting about wildly.  For once, I don't think she was trying to see that everyone was paying attention to her.  Her eyes lit on Jhondie and she seemed terrified for a moment.  "There was a…a mouse and I ran and fell," she explained, tears sliding down her face.

"Okay, okay," he said soothingly.  "We're going to take you to the hospital, and it'll be all better."  She was sobbing again too loud to hear anything else as Bradley and her mother circled her.  I heard her complain about her ankle I think, and she said something about her arm and shoulder, but an ambulance got there before she could go into detail.

As they strapped her onto a stretcher, she was more complaining than wailing.  The coup de grace was when the wheel got tangled in her dress and tore about a yard of satin and lace right off of it.  That got a wail of outrage and the paramedics got berated the whole way out by her mother about them being incompetent.  I noticed one other little thing too.  As they lifted her up carefully, her hand opened, and something fluttered out of it to the ground.  They wheeled her away, and I came closer to get a better look.  The blood drained from my face as I realized that it looked like the corner of an instant photograph.

Jhondie had stepped back with Dad and was looking just as innocent as can be.  "Maybe it's a good thing you weren't here when she fell," Dad was saying as I walked up to them.  "I don't think anyone would have appreciated you cheering when she splattered onto the punchbowl."

Jhondie looked a bit offended.  "I am not the type to take pleasure in other's pain."

Dad raised an eyebrow at her.  "Just waste perfectly good yum-yum?"

I put my arm around Jhondie's waist.  "I guess we can get going," I said.  "I think it's proper to leave after the bride and groom anyways."  Dad caught my expression.  I wanted a minute alone with Jhondie.

"Well, let me see if I can get our car, and we can get back to the hotel," he said, and left.  I could feel Jhondie take a deep breath as she turned around.

"I never touched her, I swear!" she said immediately.

"Sweetheart," I said calmly,  "If I should happen to look at those pictures later, are all of them going to be intact?"

She didn't answer.  Her eyes dropped.  Crap.

"I can not believe you did that," I said, feeling slightly sick.

"Do not even say a word," she said heatedly, her voice low.  "You weren't up there listening to her babble on about how you were some commitment-phobe, and not going to nail her."  I blinked.  She looked away and lost some of her steam.  "I just…I don't know.  I was there trying to decide if I should announce myself or call Zack or just walk away…and it was just not the best time for her to start on me.  It was just one picture."

"I'm sorry," she added in a small voice.  "But I honestly didn't touch her.  She went after the picture and I took off running, and I ducked out of the way and she hit the door."

I could believe that.  It was strange, but I really did believe her.  Then the mental image of Denise seeing a picture rose to my mind, and I couldn't stop the snicker.  Jhondie looked back at me, but I wasn't letting her off that easily.  "Okay, I can see the humor in it," I admitted, "but I almost wish you would have just, you know, done the usual on her."

Darkness clouded her eyes.  Wrong thing to say obviously.  What had she heard up there?  "I won't let violence be the solution to everything," she said fiercely.  "Just because that's what they think…" her words trailed off as Dad came back over to us.

"Kids ready to go?" he asked.  His smile faded a bit as he noticed both of us seemed rather serious.

Jhondie smiled at him.  "I certainly am."  Her ease seemed to relax him a bit.

"Works for me," I said.  What was going to work far more was getting some serious answers as soon as we got back to the hotel.  Jhondie didn't like talking about Manticore, but tonight, she was going to have to.  One way or the other, I was going to be getting some answers out of her.


	10. Deciding Moment

Jhondie

"So, let me get this straight," Justin said.  "There's X-6 that are just like you guys except loyal to Manticore and Lydecker, right?"

"Right," I replied, lying on the hotel bed while Justin sat in the desk chair.

"And you're actually thinking about announcing who you are to them?" he asked incredulously.

I sat up.  "That's the thing," I said.  "If Senator Martin and his friend really feel like that, then they want Manticore to end, and that sounds pretty damn good to me.  The X-6 do not matter on the political side.  Trust me, I heard that loud and clear."  I had explained to Justin what I had overheard, and told him about the X-6.  I had never really thought about them before today.  I knew they existed, but they had never seemed to be a threat.  Maybe they were getting in position to become one to me and mine.

Justin leaned forward, his elbows on his knees.  "Even if they decided to end Manticore, wouldn't they want to clean up the loose ends?  Face it love, you and the others are twelve pretty huge loose ends."

"Not if we're the ones that did it for them," I protested.  "See, there's got to be something that if we destroyed, the funding for Manticore would be cut.  If they told us what it was and where it was and we did it, then they're not going to want us caught.  Then…then…" I wasn't sure how to finish.

"Then you start a whole new life," Justin finished for me.  I wasn't sure how he meant that, and I didn't want to ask.  Sure, there were risks involved, but this was my chance at being free.  To never have to worry if Lydecker was going to show up in town again would be a dream come true.  To be able to see my siblings again was something I had only a faint hope for.  This might be the only way.  Couldn't he understand that?

"This might be my last chance to do something before Lydecker gets the bright idea to send a few X-6 to find us," I said.  "Think about it.  A five-man TAC team I could take down without breaking a nail.  The X-6 are probably just as good as me, if not better, and they are much, much better trained.  If I had to go up against one of them, I would be seven shades screwed."

Justin leaned back and blew out a breath.  "I don't know what to say Jhon.  This is either your ticket to freedom or a one-way pass back to Manticore."

My eyes narrowed at the thought.  "They'll never get me back alive," I swore coldly.  I could see the alarm in his face.  He knew exactly what I meant.  And I wasn't joking either.  I would rather be dead.

"Don't ever say that," he ordered harshly.  "I don't care what happens, as long as you are still breathing, there's hope.  You got out once before, didn't you?"

"You don't understand…" I began, but he cut me off, jumping up from the chair and pacing the room.

"You're damn right I don't understand!" he yelled.  I sat up a little straighter, my eyes wide with shock.  Justin had been mad at me before, but this was the first time he had ever yelled at me in anger.  He walked across the room, and then whipped around, his blue eyes blazing at me.

"How the hell am I supposed to understand?" he asked furiously.  "You won't tell me a damn thing about what happened to you.  You make vague statements and then expect me to support you when you run off on some suicide mission?  You tell me in one breath that you don't want to be a soldier, and in the next, you want to run off and destroy something.  And it's always "I".  What you want.  What you think.  And when I try to say anything, all I get is "you don't understand".  Dammit, I want to understand.  *You're* the one that doesn't want me too."  He looked like he was going to say something else, but just turned and stared out the window.

I went to give him a scathing retort, but it died somewhere in my throat.  The only way to make him see what I was trying to fight was to tell him the truth.  Manticore could be summed up in one event.  The rest was all part of the breaking process.  They pushed us to that one limit, and we jumped right over the edge.  The question was, were we still falling?

I was shaking.  Seizure?  I wish.  Abject fear over his reaction?  Hell, yes.

"I killed someone once," I said softly.  For a second I thought he didn't hear me.  Then he turned, the shock on his face making me cringe.  

"You did what?" he gasped, shock robbing his voice of strength.

I licked my lips and went forward.  There wasn't any backing out now.  "We committed murder together.  Manticore was there to teach us to be killers.  Everything we did was focused around that.  It never let up.  It never changed."

My eyes filled with tears, blurring my vision, but in my mind I could see every detail perfectly.  It didn't matter that they guy was on death row anyways.  It mattered what we had done.  "They pushed and pushed.  They wanted us to be so perfect.  They wanted us to be perfect killers.  And when the time came, Lydecker never even had to give the final order.  We just did it.  We were seven, eight, nine years old, and they had what they wanted."

I pulled myself into a little ball, hugging my knees to my chest.  Nobody had told us.  Nobody had ever once said what we were doing was wrong.  We had gotten extra rations and an hour of recreation time that night.  How were we to know?  That didn't make us run away from there.  It had been…exciting.  We were defending the Lady.  We were her champions.  We didn't know.

And Justin wasn't saying anything.  He wanted to know.  Now he did.  I had never claimed to be pure and sweet and innocent.  He was the one who had come into this relationship as the champion of humanity.  I just wanted to graduate high school and have a life.  Get drunk at a few college parties and have a massive hang-over or two and let the memories of what I had done stay buried forever and ever.

"Why did you do it?" he finally asked.  "Was it self-defense, or…" he couldn't figure out how to finish the sentence with some other excuse.

I looked at him.  "Nobody told us killing was wrong!" I cried out.  "Lydecker told us it was what we were supposed to do.  We were always under the threat of death and dying.  One life didn't matter for the sake of the mission.  He beat that into us."  I couldn't face him anymore.  "Human life was nothing.  It hurt when one of us was taken away, but they made sure we knew we weren't part of the human race.  We didn't know."

I don't think it was possible to feel more miserable then I did at that moment.  I shouldn't have said anything.  I didn't want to look at Justin and see the disgust in his eyes.  We had worked so much to get rid of killers, and he just learned that he was sleeping with the enemy.  After several long minutes, the bed creaked slightly as a weight was added to the side, and Justin pulled me against his chest.  "I had no idea," he whispered, sounding dazed.

I looked up at him.  "We didn't know better.  That's the horror of Manticore.  They rewarded us for losing our humanity."  Tears were falling, but I couldn't stop them.  The anger was gone from Justin's eyes, and only sympathy remained.

"Justin," I continued, "if Lydecker ever caught me, if they ever managed to bring me back alive, then I would be dead.  The Jhondie you know would be gone, and there would just be X5-182 in this body.  I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.  But trust me when I say that X5-182 could kill you without thinking about it.  Look at what they did to that girl…608.  She didn't hesitate at all.  And that was for a show.  For a mission, he would never have seen it coming."

"Then why do you want to risk it?" he asked desperately.  "You're safe from them right now, why risk letting them know where you are?"

"I want to be free," I answered.  "I'm not safe.  If Lydecker showed up in LA, I would have to leave.  I'm tired of being scared of helicopters.  I'm tired of nightmares about men in black and TAC teams and blood and dogs and snow."  How could he understand really?  He had no idea what it was like to be hunted for something you didn't want and couldn't control.  Yes, I seemed normal, but I knew I wasn't.  My life had been stable, but I still looked over my shoulder every day.  What was the price I was willing to pay for freedom?  That was the one thing I wasn't sure of yet.

"They would know who you are and where to find you," Justin said simply.  Both of us knew the implication of that statement.  That was the sticking point for me.

"It wouldn't matter," I replied quickly.  "With Manticore gone, and the rest of us promising to live out our lives quietly, what would it matter to them?  They could pretend I didn't exist and I could pretend that I really got this thing on my neck in a drunken haze one night."  I wanted that to be true.  I could easily be the way things worked out, but if that was true, then why did the words feel like a lie the minute they came out of my mouth?

Justin must have sensed it too.  There was something in his expression that said he knew I was lying to myself, but he didn't press me on it.  We held each other for the longest time, neither of us daring to move.  I wanted to kiss him until something more happened, but every time I thought about it, the phrase "one last time" went through my mind, and I couldn't.  It wasn't going to be good-bye, dammit!  There was no reason to think like that.  There was every reason to hope that we could all be free from Manticore forever.

Eventually Justin fell asleep, and I got up, and changed quickly into some jeans.  I knew where the Martin's lived.  It was a gated community, but that had never been a problem for me before.  Besides, it would confirm my identity when I jumped over a high fence in front of the senator.  Mr. Carter had rented a car while we were in Boston, and I borrowed that to get over there quickly.  I reminded myself to make sure the hotwiring was put back neatly so nobody would notice.  Unless it didn't matter later, of course, with me being chased by a TAC team or an X-6 or two.  No, stop thinking like that!

All the way over there I imagined what it would be like.  Would he be home?  It was three in the morning.  Should I wake him by knocking on the door?  Maybe I should just peek into windows until I found the right room.  In any case, we would talk, and I would show him my barcode and explain what I heard and who I was and what I wanted.  He would be thrilled to hear that there was someone that wanted what he wanted even more than he did.  Maybe he would see the irony in us using Lydecker's training to take the place down.  He would give me what I needed and then I would call Zack, and we would meet.  Maybe he would grab one or two of the others, and we could have some family fun.

I drove around the area for a bit, getting the lay of the land.  The car was nice enough that nobody really would see it as being out of place.  I ended up parking a couple of miles away and hiking through a back area to get a more secluded part of the fence.  I glanced around.  Nobody was watching, and I hopped over the fence easily.  I was lucky that Senator Martin claimed to be a "man of the people" and therefore didn't want to live in a secluded estate as far away from the city as possible.  Instead he lived in a fortress surrounded by special people only.  I guess he was a man of his people.

Before we left LA, Justin told me about where Senator Martin and company lived.  Actually, we were making jokes about Denise and the fact she lived behind bars.  Justin had been to her mother's in Boston once, and told me how confusing the streets of the community were, and how he had a hard time navigating.  I learned about where the house was and some of the cross-streets.  With the address in mind, I knew where I was going.

It took less time than I hoped.  I wanted to think about it some more, but then there I was, standing in front of the house.  It was rather large, and beautifully designed.  The lawn was a wonder in gardening, and I found myself pondering if they used illegal labor to keep it so lush and inviting.  I was there.  Now what?  

I stood there across the street from the house, leaning on a tree, and considering all of my options.  Yes…no…maybe…what was the question anyways?  I talked myself out of going.  I talked myself right back in.  This was a bad time.  I mean, if I woke the guy up, he would be pissed.  And after the wedding fiasco, he would really be pissed.  I would just wait until later.  Wait until he got up and we could talk about things civilly.  Yeah.  That was the right thing to do.

"See something interesting?" a voice spoke up from my right.  I froze, recognizing the voice immediately, and cursing myself for not paying more attention to my surroundings.  "I only ask because you've been staring at my house for the last fifteen minutes," Senator Martin continued.

I turned to him and literally felt my entire life narrow to this one exact point in time.  Everything crammed together so tightly that all memories seemed to merge into one huge kaleidoscope of shifting events.  Blood.  Snow.  Syl and Krit heading east, away from me.  Being adopted.  Jack being taken away.  Getting gum in my hair at Kayla's sixth birthday party.  Meeting Justin.  Eva being shot.  Dad being shot.  My first kiss.  First time I kissed Justin.  Zack…Max…Mom…Dad…Tinga…Syl…Kayla…Ben…Zane…Justin…

I love all of you.

I love all of you so very much.


	11. Home

Justin   

I didn't call out her name when I woke up.  My eyes opened, and I knew I was alone in the room.  I sat up and glanced at the clock.  It was a few minutes before six.  Twelve hours ago my life was perfect.  Now it was in splinters.  I knew where she was.  We both knew the consequences of her actions.  Could I blame her for wanting to take the chance?  Ask me again later when I didn't hate her for walking out without so much as a good-bye.

I got out of bed and went into the bathroom, washing the sleep out of my face.  The cool water reiterated that she was gone.  It was almost mocking in a sense.  I kept remembering the times she had laughed in the shower when we had been in there so long that the water got cold on us.  Damn it!  She was gone.  Sure, she could come back and try to say that all was going to be normal, but the minute she revealed herself, this life she had been leading would be over.  She'd go after Manticore, and if that didn't kill her outright, then she would have to disappear into the night.

What was I supposed to do?  What did she think I was going to do?  The worst part was that I was cursed with the ability to see it from her side as well.  It was one thing to know these little kids were being taught to kill, but it was another thing to know they were putting it into practice.  With the other things I knew about Manticore, I knew they had been through Hell there.  They were brutalized, and there wasn't any "just" getting over something like that.  This was her chance to end that nightmare.  End it for the others that were still trapped there.  Who was I to stand in her way?  Maybe it was better that two people suffer rather than at least twelve live in fear and hiding.  Screw that.  I only knew one of them, and I was one of the two suffering.

There was a light noise at the door, and I heard the soft click as the key opened the lock.  I left the bathroom quickly, just as Jhondie came through the door.  She didn't look surprised to see me awake.  She seemed…a little dazed actually.  That threw me off guard.  I would think she would be focused.  Stuck in her soldier mentality, thinking of all the ways she was going to use her new information to bring down Manticore, and what she was going to do with her new freedom.

"Have a nice talk with the senator?" I blurted out, unable to contain my bitterness.  "So, did you break in his house or knock or what?"  I really didn't care about the details; I just wanted this to be over as quickly as possible.  I wasn't one for long goodbyes, and there was no way I was going to limp along in a relationship for a couple of weeks or months even while she planned an attack on Manticore.  If this was going to be over, it was better to end it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid.

"I wasn't going to talk to him," she said in a small voice, "but he was outside when I was across from his house."  Her arms crossed like she was trying to warm herself, but I forced myself to stay where I was.  I couldn't just give in like that.  For the sake of my sanity, I had to do this.  Oh God, baby, please don't cry, because then there would be no way I could stay away.

"Zack meeting you here or in LA?" I asked, trying to keep steady.  It reminded me of what she had done of her own free will and choice.

Her eyes met mine.  "I told him I was an architecture student," she suddenly sobbed out.

Jhondie threw herself in my arms, and I held onto her more out of instinct then thought.  She said she was what?  My arms tightened around her, and I could feel her trembling lightly.  Why would she tell him that?  It had nothing to do with Manticore.  Why did she say it, unless…unless…

"I couldn't do it," she whispered, her words slightly muffled from the way her face was pressed against my chest.  My heart was pounding as I realized what she was saying.  She looked up at me, her eyes watery with unshed tears.  "He asked me why I was staring at his house, and I gave him this line about being a student, and I was visiting friends, and couldn't sleep, and sometimes when I see a house that really appeals to me, I stare at it for a while so I can sketch it later.  He bought the whole thing.  Even told me how he couldn't sleep sometimes either.  Said his stepdaughter broke her ankle and wrist at her wedding and they'd just gotten back from the hospital.  Then we said good-bye and left, and…and…" she couldn't finish, and I didn't care about the rest.

"Why?" I managed to get out.  There had to be another reason.  Maybe she saw something that made her feel unsafe right then.

"Because I knew what was going to happen," she sniffed.  One hand came up and touched my face.  "The price was too high," she whispered.  "How can I call it freedom, when I have to give up everything that I live for now?"  Her eyes met mine, and the expression in them took my breath away.  "I have learned to live without the people I cared for the most when I was a child.  I learned to live without my father.  Justin, I don't even want to try learning to live without you.  That's not living.  That would just be existing."

I hugged her back against me, unable to say a single word.  Humbling.  That's the only word that came into my mind.  I could say I loved her, and she could say it back, but there was nothing that could prepare me for seeing how deeply she felt as she told me that.  What could I say?  She had said so many times that she would do anything to be free from Manticore.  Anything at all.  But when it came to it, there was one thing that she couldn't do.  Humbling.

I knew that love was an act of faith.  There was no way to really know how another person felt in their mind and heart.  There are people that are married for thirty years that suddenly get divorced.  Marriage was just a piece of paper to some.  There was no way to tell, or so I thought.  Jhondie managed to blow that theory away in one simple magnificent act of sacrifice.  I wasn't sure if there was anything I could do that would reciprocate.  A proposal would be trite after that.  

We pulled back a little from each other, and I could see a little uncertainty in her eyes.  "Tell me I'm not crazy," she said softly.  "Tell me I didn't do this for nothing."

I caught her hand in mine, and brought it between us, the moment almost unbearable in it's intensity.  I questioned our future when I thought about what she had done at Manticore.  Was that killer instinct still there, or was it gone?  "Tell me you regret it," I said, not needing to elaborate.

"The only thing about Manticore I don't regret is not leaving there sooner," she replied, her eyes begging me to understand.  I didn't know if I could really understand, but I did know for certain then that the person she had been was not the person she was.  This lovely woman didn't want to go back to that.  She might be in physical danger from Manticore, but they would never again own her mind and soul.  And I loved her.  That was not even a question.

Our eyes locked in a gaze so intimate that it made what we had done in bed seem like a handshake in comparison.  "This," I said, squeezing her hand lightly, "is my world.  I'll take whatever chances are needed, but baby, I need you in my life.  I don't care what happens as long as I have you there right beside me."

She leaned forward and kissed me, totally accepting my words at face value.  I didn't know any way that I could prove to her what I had said, but she was willing to believe them.  I meant it totally.  There was nothing that I wanted more than her.  Maybe I should have realized that when I sat on the biggest story that my career could ever have rather than doing something to hurt her.  It didn't matter when or where or why anymore.  What did matter was that she was in my arms, and neither of us was planning on letting go any time soon.  Forget that.  Neither of us was ever letting go.

Jhondie

I can't stand to fly

I'm not that naive

I'm just out to find

The better part of me 

I'm more than a bird…I'm more than a plane

More than some pretty face beside a train

And it's not easy to be me 

I wish that I could cry

Fall upon my knees

Find a way to lie

About a home I'll never see 

It may sound absurd…but don't be naive

Even Heroes have the right to bleed

I may be disturbed…but won't you concede

Even Heroes have the right to dream

And it's not easy to be me 

Up, up and away…away from me

Well it's all right…you can all sleep sound tonight

I'm not crazy…or anything… 

I can't stand to fly

I'm not that naive

Men weren't meant to ride

With clouds between their knees 

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet

Digging for kryptonite on this one way street

Only a man in a funny red sheet

Looking for special things inside of me 

Inside of me

Inside of me

Inside of me

Inside of me

I'm only a man in a funny red sheet

I'm only a man looking for a dream

I'm only a man in a funny red sheet

And it's not easy

It's not easy to be me.

I was listening to that song as our plane leveled out at cruising altitude and the seatbelt light went off.  I know it was about an old Pre-Pulse comic book hero, but it almost was appropriate as the Manticore theme song.  Well, it was rather appropriate for us rogues I guess.  Maybe it worked for the ones still there too.  I wondered if they wished they could cry and bleed like a normal person.  I thought about 608 and wondered what she thought about having to be a killing machine, and not be allowed to get upset that she was ordered to do what she didn't want to.  One had just been killed in an accident.  Were the others upset?  Did they cry?  Did they just go about their lives as if nothing was wrong?  In a way, I hoped I would never find out.

It wasn't easy to have a barcode on the back of your neck.  Sure, it was cool to be able to jump fifteen feet, and see for miles without binoculars, but it would be nice to wear a ponytail whenever I so desired as well and not stress any time I saw some guy in an Army uniform.  Maybe this was all just part of destiny.  If it weren't for Manticore I would never have met Justin.  We certainly couldn't have been able to accomplish what we had for the boss.  Even if I had the family I did, I would just be a regular kid, struggling through college, trying to get the grades required to get me into a decent medical school.

Everything had come down to one simple question.  Was I happy?  There were parts I liked and parts I didn't, but when I asked myself that one question, I knew the truth.  I didn't want to lose my life that I had created.  If there was a way to attack Manticore anonymously, where they would only know that a couple of X-5's had screwed them over, then I wouldn't hesitate.  Maybe we would get that chance in the future.  It didn't seem likely unless someone on the inside turned traitor, but who could predict the future.  We ran.  Maybe one of the kids still there would get the courage up to cut and run.  I hoped one of them would realize what was truly important in this world.

Truly important.  I glanced over at Justin who was fast asleep in his seat.  Little wonder.  When I came back that morning, and he realized that I couldn't do anything to jeopardize our relationship, it seemed there was a subtle change in him.  Like he realized how serious I was about us, and I think in his mind and heart, he totally committed to us too.  It wasn't that he hadn't been serious before, but this was deeper.  And he had accepted what we had done.  I knew that wasn't easy on him, but he was willing to deal with it.  If nothing else told me how much he loved me then that would have right there.

Justin hadn't gotten much sleep that night, and I would have let him sleep, but then we kissed, and held each other for the longest time, and it seemed so perfectly natural for us to end up in bed together.  I don't think in all the times that we had made love; Justin had ever been so incredibly passionate and tender at the same time.  Maybe it was such a total mix of emotion that we had between us right then, but it brought me to tears, and I can't be sure, but maybe Justin as well.  And it wasn't just once either.  Neither of us could let go of the other.  Time seemed suspended for us until the wake-up call brought us both back to reality and we both realized how many hours had slipped by.

Mr. Carter asked Justin if he was okay seeing that he was dragging and I was just as energetic as ever.  I slept in the last two days.  I had all I needed.  Justin hadn't but he wasn't complaining, and he didn't want to explain to his father why he was so tired.  I thought about Justin's little comment about me being a wimp, and then told his dad that Justin's delicate little tummy was upset, and he'd been in the bathroom like four times that morning already.  I thought Justin was going to kill me, or at the very least say something rather rude, but he knew better.  

So here we were heading back to California.  I opened one of my textbooks and started to read while I sipped on the soda the flight attendant had just given me.  My eyes slid over the words without really looking at them though.  My mind was with my siblings out there somewhere.  It was with the sibling I had adopted as my own that would be at the airport in LA.  It was with the kids still trapped behind enemy lines, not knowing that was where they were.  When it comes down to it, the ones that are still breathing do have a future.  We have hope.  And that's what I was going to have to bank on for my future.  One day, guys.  One day we'll be together again.

I took Justin's hand, and even in his sleep his fingers tightened around mine.  In the meantime, I had this to let me know that I was wanted and needed for reasons other than the ones attached to my barcode.  I told him last night that it wasn't a matter of trusting him that I didn't like to talk about Manticore; it was a matter of not wanting to remember those things.  After what I had told him earlier, I think he finally started to understand.

One day.  One day I would have the chance I needed.  One day we would all be together again.  Both of my lives would be able to come together.  That was the hope.  Hope was a hard thing to find in my world.  Lots of people lose it easily.  I saw that a lot working for the boss.  But I had Justin.  I knew the others were out there.  We would have our "one-day".  And I could hope for happily ever after.

THE END    


End file.
